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Blue hippo

November 16, 2010

Two years ago:
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Self-portrait with a bike in November

November 16, 2009

I can’t resist this silly building. It’s parliament’s East Block.

What were they thinking?

I posted almost the same picture — the East Block getting bonked in the head with a cue ball — on July 17, 2008:
Gasp!

Once I caught the East Block looking out the window of the Langevin Building. It couldn’t believe what it was seeing.
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Oh no!

April 3, 2008

And here it is in all its dopy feline pointy-hatted splendour.

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East block

March 30, 2009

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Whirling dervish

July 25, 2009

Two years ago:
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Objects in mirror

July 25, 2008

East block, Parliament of Canada.

What a preposterous building! It’s like a giant startled Victorian pussycat with a funny hat on.

Here’s some more about the East block.

This one looks like it’s probably a real person.

These might be based on real people, but they’re getting a bit demonic.

This one is sort of cute. I think it’s my Uncle Alfred.

These are in the entryway to the house of commons. They look like caricatures of real public figures.

Some of the little figures aren’t human. Here’s a scary lion.

This lion just looks grouchy.

Here’s a lion-like person, or vice versa.

Lots of Indians. Scary.

I don’t know what this is.

Putting faces all over buildings is definitely a lost art. I like it for its playfulness. Each one seems like a little joke tossed in by the architect, to try and keep the whole enterprise from getting too stodgy.

This creepy featureless face is one of my favourites. It’s so featureless that it almost isn’t even a face, but I think it is.

The face in the tower of the east block is the best joke of all. And the biggest.

Some people think he looks sad, and the X’s for eyes are a comic strip convention for someone who is drunk. But I think he looks surprised, maybe shocked. He is aghast. He just can’t believe it!

Well, neither can I.

In the distance you can see its big brother, the Laurier bridge.

Then I walked home. I saw all kinds of things!

Some cops going to a wedding

When you use a telephoto lens it flattens out perspective, so distant things seem like they are on the same level as closer things. In this picture I was hoping that this effect would create a striking connection between the cops’ helmets and the streetlight globes. It’s there but it isn’t that striking, maybe because they aren’t the same colour. Maybe if I was a Photoshop wizard I could just brighten up the streetlights, and this would be a lot better picture; but I’m not.

I followed the cops to the lawn of the Supreme Court, where the bride was waiting. I didn’t know you could get married on the lawn of the Supreme Court! I guess you can if you’re a bunch of cops.

A frieze of a bunch of soldiers

A very surprised building

People and statues

This picture shows the flattening effect of a telephoto lens. The stairs don’t look like stairs, they look like a wall, because the people at the top are the same size as those at the bottom.

And not only that, one of the statues has a bird on its head!

The Eternal Flame

Autumn leaves

And then I was home.